Attached can opener



Oct. 2, 1951 p R SCHWARK 2,569,905

ATTACHED CAN OPENER Filed March 2, 1948 Fig 4 Inventor Paul R. ch walk WW 8m Patented Oct. 2, 1951 ATTACHED CAN OPENER Paul R. Schwark', Port Ewen, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Charles V. Spinnenweber, Port Ewen, N. Y.

Application March 2., 1948, Serial No. 12,629

This invention relates to improvements in means for opening metal cans containing beverages under pressure, as for instance, beer and ale and for opening other liquid containers.

The principal object of this invention is to pro vide a liquid container with permanently attached means for providing a vent in the can top, without the employment of auxiliary or unattached parts.

At the present time, the majority of beverages and liquids are sold to consumers through the medium of a sealed metal container. Various types of openers have been designed to facilitate more easily and conveniently, the opening of the containers. It is the object of this invention to provide a can opener of very simple construction, which is adapted to be securely mounted on the upper surface of the can top and employed in such mounted position for conveniently forming a vent or opening in the can top.

This invention, therefore, seeks to provide efficient opening means for a liquid container, said means being designed to be permanently secured to the. top of the can by the manufacturer and to enable the consumer to more conveniently open the can. Each liquid container would have secured permanently to its top an opener device of this invention, which is designed to be used only once, for opening the particular can to which it is attached.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive opener for a can, more convenient for use by the consumer, and adapted to provide a safe and easier means of opening the can.

With these and other ancillary objects and meritorious features in mind, this invention comprises certain novel features of structure and arrangements of parts, as will be more clearly appreciated from a view of the following detailed specification, which is based on the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a liquid container having applied thereon a preferred form of the opener device;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the liquid container, shown in elevation in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Figure 2, and;

Figure 4 is a broken sectional view, exemplifying the can opener in operation for providing a vent or opening in the top of the can.

As shown in the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout, this invention is adapted to be permanently ,2 attached by the manufacturer to the top of the can to render more convenient the operation of opening the can by the consumer.

In carrying out this invention, there is provided a can In, having securely afiixed to the upper surface of the can top l2, the can opener device, generally denoted by the character reference 14, comprising the subject matter of" this invention. This can It! is i of a conventional structure and; consists of the rounded side walls 16, having a top I 2 secured to the uppermost ends of the side walls, by means of a peripheral rim I8, which is crimped or swung over the side walls of the can. i

The can opener, 14, comprises a substantially fiat elongated bar 20, which isadapted to lie flat on the upper surface of the can top I2, An angularly offset portion 22 is formed at one end of the bar and extends in a plane above the surface of'the bar. The other end, 2 of the bar has its edges rounded and grooved, to provide a friction resting place for the fingersof an operator, in utilizing the can opener. s 1

Cutting edges 26"are formed en the opposite sides of the angular offset portion 22 and taper inwardly and terminate in a downwardly inclined arcuate neck portion 28. A downwardly inclined sharp hook or piercing point is pro-' vided at the outer terminating point of the neck portion 28 and is adapted to provide the initial opening in the can.

Suitable means are provided to permanently secure the opener I4 to the top of the can and for the purpose of illustration, comprise a band of any suitable material, preferably of fiat wire rod. This band 32 is transversely placed over the elongated bar 20 at the angular juncture point of the bar and the offset portion 22 and has oppositely disposed legs 34 and 35, which are adapted to fit over the opposite sides of the bar 20. The legs 34 and 36 terminate in outwardly extending lateral extension portions, which are adapted to fit flush with the top surface of the can at the angular juncture, with their terminating points in a slightly higher plane, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Suitable means are provided to securely attach the band to the top surface of the can and comprise soldering, the lateral extensions to the top surface of the can. By tapering the lateral extensions 38 and 40 of the band legs, the band is more securely soldered to the top of the can, which is essential for the smooth operation of the device.

In operation, as shown in Figure 4 of the draw- Thus, it can be seen that there has been pro vided a simple and inexpensive device, which can be securely attached to a liquid container by the manufacturer thereof and which will operate efiiciently and conveniently for the consumer in venting the can. The cost of providing the opener by the manufacturer would be nominal, inasmuch as the parts needed to provide the structure would be inexpensive and could comprise any type of hard substance, such as steel or metal.

It is to be understood, of course, that various changes in structure, style and shape may be made by any one skilled in the art, without a departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is: f v 1. A can opener device comprising a can having a cover, a can opener including an elongated flat bar, a triangularly shaped longitudinally arcuate head formed integrally with one end of said'bar with the sides thereof converging in a direction away from said bar, said head extending at an angle to said bar with the concave face thereof disposed'downwardly, a cutting tip depending from the end of said head remote from said bar, a u shaped member having the web portion thereof'abutting said can opener adjacent the juncture of said head and said bar, means'f'or attaching the legs of said member to said cover of said can with the axis of said bar extending diametrically thereof and with the cutting tip ofsaid head disposed adjacentthe edge of said cover, said head having cutting edges along the sides thereof to thereby cut a V-shaped aperture in said cover as said opener is pivoted about the web portion of said member, the sides of which aperture diverge inwardly of said cover.

2. A can opener device comprising a can having a cover, a can opener including an elongated flat bar, a triangularly shaped longitudinally arcuate head formed integrally with one end of said bar with the sides thereof converging in a direction away from said bar, said head extending at an angle to said bar with the concave face thereof disposed downwardly, a cutting tip depending from the end of said head remote from said bar, a U-shaped member having the web portion thereof abutting said can opener adjacent the juncture of said head and said bar, means for attaching the legs of said member to said cover of said can with the axis of said bar extending diametrically thereof and with the cutting tip of said head disposed adjacent the edge of said cover, said head having cutting edges along the sides thereof to thereby cut a V-shaped aperture in said cover as said opener is pivoted about the web portion of said member, the sides of which aperture diverge inwardly of said cover, an angularly ofiset handle portion on the other end of said bar.

PAUL R. SCHWARK;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

